About a year ago, a former client approached our Denver based criminal defense law firm and asked for help setting up a marijuana dispensary. We had to turn him down. A few months later, we were again approached by a group of entrepreneurs looking to establish a legal facility allowing for recreational use of marijuana in their establishment in compliance with the recent Colorado law changes that are about to be implemented on January 1, 2014. We turned them down as well. They wanted to throw gobs of money at us... I still turned them down.

I own Shazam Kianpour & Associates, a Colorado criminal defense law firm based in Denver. Yes, I call the shots, and yes, I understand that even though we are criminal and drug defense lawyers, that we are a small business that needs income to survive. But I have news for you folks. MARIJUANA IS A BANNED SUBSTANCE ACCORDING TO FEDERAL LAW (Remember, it's that law you swore to uphold when they gave you your BAR card).

The problem is going to rear its ugly head sooner or later when federal legislation turns its searing gaze and heavy hand on states like Colorado and Washington that have legalized marijuana. And this will be a battle that surely the US Supremes will have to mediate and referee until there is only one winner standing.

I believe legalizing marijuana will be good for our US and Colorado economy. Colorado has institute programs that allow for marijuana sales to be heavily taxed, and a large part of those proceeds will go to fund Colorado public schools, education, and salaries for teachers. I also believe that marijuana is not the invasive "stepping stone drug" that necessarily leads teens to try harder drugs and eventually become brain dead waste-oids that will collapse the United States. But until the Feds okay Marijuana, every attorney in Colorado- whether they practice criminal and traffic defense in Colorado like we do, or whether they have active practices in any other field- is technically risking federal prosecution, ethical state bar discipline, and potential legal problems.

Think smart. Think ahead. Remember the oath you took, and treat it seriously. I believe in helping people that are charged with crimes and traffic offenses. It is in my DNA and in the DNA of every criminal and drug defense lawyer at my law firm. I hope that sooner than later, the current or future Congress in our nation has the common sense to address these issues and allow for the legal community to help people in a sensible manner without putting out livelihoods and businesses at risk. At Shazam Kianpour& Associates, we defend drug charges in Colorado and we specialize in all criminal defense. If you have any questions about your current case, give us a call and we will be happy to give you a free consultation about your rights and the options you have. Call or email us today.

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